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Tuesday 21 February 2023
Leader of Sunset Trinitarios Sentented to Life in Prison for Racketeering, Including Ordering Multiple MurdersRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EDIBERTO SANTANA, a/k/a “Flaco Veneno,” was sentenced to life imprisonment for leading the Sunset Trinitarios gang from at least 2010 through 2019 and, in that capacity, ordering multiple acts of brutal violence, including the March 13, 2011, murder of Dennis Marquez, age 16, who was stabbed to death in the Bronx; the October 23, 2013, murder of Michael Beltre, age 17, who was shot and killed in the Bronx; and the November 17, 2013, murder of Rafael Alam, age 22, who was shot and killed in the Bronx. U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “While nothing can make whole the families and communities of Dennis Marquez, Michael Beltre, and Rafael Alam, we hope that today’s sentence is some measure of closure and justice for them. We are committed to addressing gang violence in our communities and to holding accountable those who instigate such violence.”
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SANTANA, 33, of Brooklyn, New York, previously pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy with murder as a special sentencing factor, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York City Police Department, the New York State Police, and the New York City Department of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Celia V. Cohen, Jacqueline C. Kelly, and Lindsey Keenan are in charge of the prosecution. The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.
Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Calvin Butler, 24, of Dunbar, pleaded guilty today to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $16,040 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Butler provided his personal information to an individual he met on the Instagram social media platform who had offered to apply for a PPP loan on Butler’s behalf in exchange for $2,000 of the loan proceeds. On April 25, 2021, this individual electronically submitted an application falsely stating that Butler operated a barbershop and that it had received $77,000 in gross income in 2020. Butler admitted that he knew he was not eligible to receive a PPP loan. Butler further admitted that he proceeded with the scheme because he needed money to pay his bills.
The CARES Act, enacted in March 2020, offered emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This assistance included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program. Businesses applying for PPP loans had to certify that the business was in operation on February 15, 2020, and were required to provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020.
The fraudulent PPP loan application was approved and $16,040 was electronically deposited from a financial institution in Tennessee to Butler’s account with a bank in South Charleston on June 7, 2021. Butler admitted that he knew the deposit was the result of the fraudulent PPP loan application. Butler further admitted that he withdrew and spent $15,000 of the fraudulently obtained money to benefit himself personally and not for any legitimate business expenses.
Butler pleaded guilty to wire fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2023. Butler faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Butler also owes $18,540 in restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), the West Virginia State Auditor’s Public Integrity and Fraud Unit, and the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-161.
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Kalispell woman who sent money overseas in money mule scheme sentenced to 57 months in prison; $2 million restitution orderedRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Kalispell woman who admitted to funneling millions of dollars overseas in a money mule scheme that defrauded victims was sentenced today to 57 months in prison, ordered to pay $2,043,340 restitution and to serve three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Theresa Anne Chabot, 58, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to unlicensed money transmitting businesses.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court also ordered Chabot to forfeit a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. Chabot was ordered into custody.
“As a money mule, Chabot laundered millions of dollars collected through various fraud schemes across the country and sent proceeds overseas while keeping a share of the money for her own benefit. Chabot exploited and harmed numerous trusting victims and now rightfully faces the consequences of her criminal conduct. As this case shows, our office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who criminally exploit others,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
“IRS special agents are experts at unraveling sophisticated financial crimes and disrupting international crime organizations,” said Andy Tsui, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Denver Field Office. “Money mules like Chabot are the lifeblood of these fraudsters, enriching themselves and harming countless victims in the process. Today’s sentencing is a victory for all taxpayers and an example of the commitment we share with the FBI and other law enforcement partners to cut off the flow of money to criminals who think they are beyond our reach.”
“Money mules support criminal enterprises by adding a layer between those criminals and their victims, making it more difficult to trace and recover the funds,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheyvorea Gibson of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Acting as a money mule, whether you know it or not, is illegal. The FBI is committed to protecting the public from such predators and holding them accountable.”
The government alleged in court documents that from about May 2017 until February 2021, Chabot, through her business, Avalanche Creek, LLC, collected money from various wire fraud schemes around the United States into her bank accounts. Chabot then funneled millions of dollars overseas, including to the United Arab Emirates, and received 10 percent of the funds into her accounts. The fraud loss was $5,449,395. Chabot preyed on the elderly, fantasies of love, friendships, purported oil investments, advance-pay schemes and gold and silver. In 2018, the Secret Service informed Chabot she was acting as a “money mule,” but Chabot ignored the warning and continued sending money overseas. When interviewed again by agents in 2020, Chabot admitted one instance in which she received $10,000 hidden in a stuffed animal and deposited the money into her account.
Chabot operated Avalanche Creek as a money transmitting business and was required to register it with the Department of Treasury. Chabot opened more than 50 bank accounts. Banks closed numerous accounts after reviewing the activity because of fraud or misuse. Despite the repeated bank account closures, Chabot would open new bank accounts that enabled her to receive proceeds.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation.
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Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Host Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Workshop on Competition AdvocacyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today launched a two-day joint workshop as part of this year’s first Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC) Senior Officials Meeting, which the U.S. is hosting in Palm Springs, California. This year marks the first time the U.S. has hosted APEC since 2011.
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the FTC organized and hosted the workshop on competition advocacy for APEC’s Competition Policy and Law Group (CPLG) to build on the APEC 2023 priorities, including promoting competitive markets throughout the Asia-Pacific region and fostering cooperation across APEC’s 21 economies in service of this goal.
“The APEC’s Competition Policy and Law Group workshop provides an opportunity to engage with our partners in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Promoting competition in an increasingly complex world demands an interconnected and innovative approach to international antitrust enforcement, and this workshop is an important forum for building the ties and strategy necessary for this cooperation.”
The workshop began with opening remarks from Assistant Attorney General Kanter and FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter. The workshop featured presentations and roundtable discussions on litigating competition matters, regulatory advocacy and effective legislative advocacy in a changing world. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Hetal Doshi, who leads the Antitrust Division’s Litigation Unit, kicked off the workshop with a presentation sharing best practices for courtroom advocacy. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maggie Goodlander, who oversees the Antitrust Division’s International, Appellate, and Policy Sections, led a panel with judges and competition agency leadership from the United States, Chile and Peru.
APEC is the premier platform for advancing economic policies in the Asia-Pacific region that promote inclusive and sustainable growth, as well as free, fair, and open trade and investment. In addition to this week’s meeting in Palm Springs, the U.S. will host APEC Senior Officials Meetings in Detroit (May 2023) and Seattle (August 2023), as well as APEC’s Economic Leaders’ Week in San Francisco (November 2023).
Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Antitrust Division delivers remarks at the APEC Competition Advocacy WorkshopHuntington Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Melissa Dawn Lockhart, 49, of Huntington, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing a quantity of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 25, 2021, Lockhart sold approximately 5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at her Huntington residence.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-73.
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Grafton Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. –United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced that Chad Rombow, 47, previously of Grafton, was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment today following his sentencing for participating in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the defendant and others were involved in a conspiracy to ship methamphetamine from Arizona to New Hampshire. In May of 2019, Drug Enforcement Administration agents were alerted to suspicious parcels sent from co-defendants Heather Dubeau and Gary Sewell in Arizona to two different addresses in New Hampshire. Investigators obtained a warrant to open the packages and found that one contained over 336 grams of methamphetamine and the other contained over 665 grams of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine was intended for further distribution. Investigators learned that the package containing 336 grams of methamphetamine was intended for the defendant, and that the defendant planned to further distribute the methamphetamine.
All of Rombow’s co-defendants previously pleaded guilty. Andrew Hutchins pleaded guilty on May 5, 2022, and was sentenced on August 30, 2022 to time served and 3 years supervised release. Sewell pleaded guilty on May 5, 2022, and was sentenced on February 7, 2023 to 72 months in prison. Dubeau pleaded guilty on May 4, 2022, and was sentenced on February 16, 2023 to 40 months in prison. Eli Margolis pleaded guilty on May 27, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 23, 2023. Dylan Miles pleaded guilty on February 15, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 24, 2023.
“The defendant was part of a conspiracy to ship methamphetamine from Arizona for distribution into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “Such criminal conduct will not be tolerated and when caught, this office will seek significant periods of incarceration to punish the defendants and to deter others from polluting our communities with poison such as methamphetamine.”
“As we all know, drug trafficking in our communities, along with the gun and physical violence that often accompanies it, is a serious threat to our families and communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “These crimes rob the neighborhoods of safety and hold law abiding citizens of New Hampshire hostage to drug fueled lawlessness. This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. DEA and its local, state and federal partners are dedicated to bringing to justice those that commit these crimes.”
This matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anna Krasinski.
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Gary Man Sentenced to 37 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Khalil Swader, 26 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Swader was sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on July 11, 2022, law enforcement attempted to pull over a vehicle for speeding in Gary, Indiana. Before the vehicle stopped, Swader threw a loaded semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine out the window. Swader’s criminal history revealed that he had a 2020 federal felony conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon, and as such, he was prohibited from possessing the firearm. Swader was also on supervised release for his 2020 conviction at the time of the instant crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives/Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force with the assistance of the Gary Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Toth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Gary Man Sentenced to 240 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Joshua Jensen, 27 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon on his plea of guilty to production of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Jensen was sentenced to 240 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Jensen produced child pornography with a victim who was less than five years of age.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gary Police Department, and the Porter County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .
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Former Owner and CEO/CFO of Recycling Company Sentenced to 33 Months for Federal Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Kevin Shibilski, 61, Merrill, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 33 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for failure to pay $858,101 in employment taxes to the IRS for tax years 2014-2016. On May 16, 2022, Shibilski pleaded guilty to failing to pay over employment taxes to the IRS from Pure Extractions Inc. and Wisconsin Logistics Solutions LLC.
Shibilski was a minority owner and CEO/CFO of 5R Processors (5R), which had locations in Ladysmith, Catawba, Glen Flora, Wisconsin, and Morristown, Tennessee. 5R was involved in the recycling of electronic equipment and other assets. Pure Extractions Inc. (Pure Extractions) was created by Shibilski in June 2014 to handle 5R’s recycling operations. Pure Extractions took on all of 5R’s recycling customers, warehouses and equipment, income flows from recycling, most of 5R’s recycling employees, but none of 5R’s debts. Wisconsin Logistics Solutions LLC (Wisconsin Logistics) was created by Shibilski in February 2015 to handle 5R’s trucking and logistics operations. Wisconsin Logistics took on most of 5R’s trucks and equipment, drivers, dispatchers, pick-up routes, licenses, and all of 5R’s income flows from trucking and logistics, but again, none of 5R’s debts.
At today’s sentencing, Judge Peterson found that the government presented overwhelming evidence showing that Shibilski had been in charge of 5R’s operations and finances since March 2013 and had been the primary decisionmaker on which bills to pay and not pay, including not paying the employment taxes for 5R, Pure Extractions and Wisconsin Logistics. Judge Peterson found that Shibilski had not sincerely accepted responsibility for his actions, noting that Shibilski kept blaming everybody else, including the IRS, his co-defendants, and other 5R employees for the nonpayment of the employment taxes. Judge Peterson added that as the CEO/CFO and part-owner of 5R, Shibilski was the person who was in charge at 5R, which had a brother-sister relationship with Pure Extractions and Wisconsin Logistics.
Judge Peterson explained that a sentence of imprisonment was necessary in this case to send a deterrence message to two groups. One, business owners who willfully fail to pay their employment taxes and need to know their actions will have consequences and they will go to federal prison. Two, the general public who need to know that prison is not just for the impoverished or drug dealers, and that people who willfully fail to pay the IRS and use the tax funds for other purposes, will go to prison.
As part of the plea agreement, Shibilski agreed to pay monies towards the remediation of the leaded glass storage sites for 5R in Wisconsin and Tennessee in the amount of: (1) $100,000 to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and (2) $100,000 to Paint Oak LLC, Knoxville, Tennessee.
Shibilski’s co-defendant, Bonnie Dennee, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, relating to 5R’s illegal storage of leaded glass. On January 26, 2021, Dennee was sentenced to 5 months in prison. Shibilski’s co-defendant, James Moss, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States relating to 5R’s illegal storage of leaded glass, as well as conspiracy involving the failure to pay over 5R’s employment taxes. On November 23, 2020, Moss was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
The charges against Shibilski, Moss, and Dennee were the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Law Enforcement, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, and IRS Criminal Investigation. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Graber.
Former KC Man Arrested in Mexico for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Kansas City, Mo., man who moved to Mexico and lived under another name, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to producing child pornography.
Wyatt Christopher Maxwell, also known as “Louis Whitaker,” 23, was charged in a five-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 7, 2023. That indictment has been unsealed and made public upon Maxwell’s arrest in Mexico on Feb. 14, 2023, and initial court appearance in the Central District of California (in Los Angeles, Calif.) on Feb. 16, 2023.
Maxwell lived in Kansas City, Mo., at the time of the alleged offenses, but afterward moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where he went by the name “Louis Whitaker” as a cabaret singer.
The federal indictment alleges that Maxwell used a minor victim to produce child pornography between July 31, 2020, and Feb. 1, 2021. The indictment also alleges that Maxwell transported the minor victim across state lines from Kansas to Missouri to engage in illegal sexual activity.
Maxwell is also charged with two counts of distributing child pornography over the internet and one count of possessing child pornography.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly. It was investigated by the FBI and the Overland Park, Kan., Police Department.
Former Fresno IRS Employee Pleads Guilty to Selling Morphine and Contributing to Co-worker’s DeathRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Margarita Aispuro-Camacho, 46, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to illegally selling morphine and contributing to the death of her co-worker at the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court records, Aispuro-Camacho was a clerk at the IRS in Fresno. In May 2020, she sold morphine pills that she had been prescribed to one of her co-workers. The co-worker died the next day from an overdose of the morphine that Aispuro-Camacho had provided and other prescription drugs that the co-worker obtained from other sources.
Aispuro-Camacho had previously sold morphine and other drugs she had been prescribed to the co-worker on at least five occasions. She profited a few thousand dollars from the sales.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.
Aispuro-Camacho is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Aispuro-Camacho faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Fifteen Members of Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club Conspiracy Sentenced to a Total of over 155 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Jesse Wilson, 37, of Evansville, Indiana, was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison for his part in a larger conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Wilson is the last of fifteen members of a large-scale methamphetamine distribution conspiracy based in Evansville. Central Holman, IV, 31, of Owensboro, Kentucky was the main source of methamphetamine for the conspiracy, whose ringleaders were Gary Forston, 42, and Jason Kyle Wilson, 45, both of Evansville. Many of the defendants were members and associates of the Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club.
“The members of this conspiracy will spend many years in federal prison for pumping large quantities of methamphetamine onto our streets,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Methamphetamine use devastates so many families and kills hundreds of Hoosiers every year. That’s why we will work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to dismantle armed organizations trafficking in deadly drugs. The sentences imposed in this case demonstrate our commitment to protecting the public from these dangerous criminals.”
“Drugs destroy communities by themselves, but the deadly results are compounded as criminal enterprises use firearms enforce their illegal trade.” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to lock up those putting poison into our community.”
“Individuals like Mr. Wilson who are part of a violent methamphetamine trafficking organization must be held accountable for their actions. The DEA remains committed to working hand in hand with our state, local and federal partners in order to keep our communities safe,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Gannon. “The DEA commends the outstanding work of the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, Evansville Police Department, Owensboro, KY Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the countless hours spent bringing these individuals to justice.”
According to court documents, beginning in at least 2018, Central Holman, IV, served as the main source of supply of methamphetamine for the conspiracy, while Gary Forston and Jason Kyle Wilson served as ring leaders of the conspiracy to distribute to mid and low-level distributors.
The investigation began in 2019 when law enforcement officers arrested Jason Kyle Wilson for the armed dealing of methamphetamine in Evansville, Indiana. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) found that Holman first began distributing methamphetamine to Jason Wilson and Clarence Grubbs in late 2018 or early 2019. Holman resided in Owensboro, Kentucky and often met members of the conspiracy there or in Evansville to distribute the methamphetamine. Holman distributed approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine to members of the conspiracy in 2019 and at least 50 pounds in 2018.
Once they acquired the drug, Forston and Wilson distributed the methamphetamine to mid-level distributors, Adam Lafferty, Shane Lewis, James Benton, Brian Eden, Paul Overby, Kimberly Wilson, Jesse Wilson, Matthew Meredith, Clarence Grubbs, Daniel Wiscaver, and April Martin. Among the locations used to distribute and receive money for the substances was The Grim Reapers Motorcycle Clubhouse located on East Diamond Avenue in Evansville.
Law enforcement officers seized over 20 firearms and over $10,000 in United States currency during the course of the investigation. The conspiracy was responsible for over 80 pounds of methamphetamine distributed in the Southern District of Indiana. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is currently in litigation to seeking to forfeit the Grim Reapers Motorcycle Clubhouse as the proceeds and instrumentality of criminal conduct.
As of today, all 15 defendants have been sentenced as follows:
DEFENDANT
OFFENSES
SENTENCE
Central Holman IV, 31, Owensboro, KY.
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine,
21 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
Gary Wayne Forston, 42, Evansville, IN.
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine
16 years’ imprisonment
5 supervised release
Jason Kyle Wilson, 45, Evansville, IN.
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Felon in Possession of a Firearm
18 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
Adam Lafferty, 41, Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
10 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
Shane Lewis, 35, Evansville, IN.
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Providing a Firearm to a Prohibited Person
12.5 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
James Benton, 69, Evansville, IN.
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
5 years’ imprisonment
3 years supervised release
Brian Eden, 43, Evansville, IN.
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
12.5 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
Paul Overby, 48, Evansville, IN.
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine
15 years’ imprisonment
7 years supervised release
Kimberly Wilson, 41, Evansville, IN.
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
7.25 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
Jesse Wilson, 37, Evansville, IN.
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
8 years’ imprisonment
3 years supervised release
Matthew Meredith, 43, Evansville, IN.
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
11 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
Clarence Grubbs, 51, Evansville, IN.
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
16 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
Daniel Wiscaver, 64, Evansville, IN.
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
Time served
3 years supervised release
April Martin, 51, Evansville, IN.
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
3 years’ imprisonment
2 years supervised release
Derek Sander, 51, Evansville, IN.
Providing a Firearm to a Prohibited Person
Time served
3 years supervised release
ATF and DEA Evansville investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Richard L. Young.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lauren M. Wheatley, who prosecuted this case.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
See previous press release here.
Federal Jury Convicts Cyberstalker Who Used Fake LinkedIn Profile in Harassment CampaignRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Texas man on Friday on charges of cyberstalking.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Christopher Kevin Morris, 45, attempted to ruin the life of a victim in the Eastern District of North Carolina, as well as harass two other victims elsewhere. Morris attempted to defame his North Carolina victim by creating a fake LinkedIn profile describing the victim as a child molester and rapist, sending emails to co-workers pretending to be a respected colleague alleging that the victim was a convicted child molester, and sending emails to co-workers pretending to be the victim that used racist language. In addition, Morris sent harassing and confrontational emails to each of the victims using a variety of email accounts implying that he was watching them or their family, calling them inappropriate things, and using racist and offensive language. He sent a message to one of the victims saying, “dead man walking.” Finally, Morris attempted to ruin the life of the North Carolina victim by posting source code on the public internet on multiple occasions, code that the victim worked extensively on for six years and was worth millions of dollars. Morris engaged in this criminal conduct after making inappropriate comments to the North Carolina victim in a forum public to other employees and, after refusing to apologize for his conduct, was removed from his job.
Morris faces a maximum sentence of 60 months in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release when sentenced in May 2023.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan accepted the verdict. The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad DeVoe.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:21-CR-370-FL.
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Federal Jury Convicts Boise Tax Return Preparer of Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BOISE – After a four-day trial, a federal jury found Boise tax return preparer Andres Sanchez, 33, guilty of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of six false or fraudulent tax returns on behalf of several clients, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. Senior U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill presided over the trial which began on February 13 and concluded with six guilty verdicts on February 17. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on one remaining count.
During the trial, the jury heard evidence that Sanchez worked as a paid tax return preparer in Boise. For tax returns filed for tax years 2014, 2015, and 2016, Sanchez counseled his clients to include ineligible dependents on their tax returns to increase tax refunds. The ineligible dependents resulted in dependency exemptions and refundable tax credits for Sanchez’s clients, including the child tax credit, additional child tax credit, and earned income credit. The ineligible dependents resulted in significant refunds in many cases where Sanchez’s clients would have otherwise owed taxes.
“Tax fraud is an affront to all taxpayers who comply with the law,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “We will aggressively pursue those who submit false tax returns or who unlawfully evade their tax obligations in other ways. This case is a reminder of our dedication to this mission. It is also a reminder to the public to be cautious when choosing a tax preparer. If something seems too good to be true, it often is.”
“Over the past three years, investigations led by IRS-CI special agents have resulted in more than 300 return preparers being sentenced for filing false tax returns,” said Andy Tsui, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office. “Return preparer fraud will remain a top priority for us and today’s verdict should serve as a reminder to tax preparers that filing false returns will lead to significant fines and prison.”
Sanchez faces a maximum of three years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each false tax return. Sentencing is scheduled for May 16, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigative work of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation in this case.
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Fayetteville Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Fayetteville man was sentenced today to 140 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, on June 15, 2022, detectives with the 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force (JDDTF) were requested to assist Springdale police officers who responded to a shots-fired call. After receiving a vehicle description and locating the vehicle, officers stopped and made contact with the driver, who was identified as Wayne Duvall Coleman, age 41.
The officer asked Coleman if there was anything illegal in the vehicle, and Coleman advised that there was marijuana in the center console. A search of the vehicle resulted in officers locating marijuana, multiple prescription pills, and drug paraphernalia.
Coleman was arrested and his vehicle was secured. On June 16, 2022, officers applied for and received a search warrant to conduct a more thorough search of the vehicle in reference to the shots-fired call the day prior. During that search, detectives located two small baggies containing suspected methamphetamine in the steering column of the vehicle.
The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the Department of Homeland Security forensic laboratory for further analysis. Subsequent testing confirmed that the substance contained methamphetamine and weighed 54.66 grams.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force and the Springdale Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Eaton prosecuted the case.
Ex-Mexican Secretary of Public Security Genaro Garcia Luna Convicted of Engaging in a Continuing Criminal Enterprise and Taking Millions in Cash Bribes from the Sinaloa CartelRead the Press Release
Genaro Garcia Luna, the former Secretary of Public Security in Mexico from 2006 to 2012, was convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn of all five counts of a superseding indictment charging him with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise that includes six drug-related violations, international cocaine distribution conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to import cocaine, and making false statements. The verdict followed a four-week trial before United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan. When sentenced, Luna faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Anne Milgram, Administrator, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), announced the verdict.
“Garcia Luna, who once stood at the pinnacle of law enforcement in Mexico, will now live the rest of his days having been revealed as a traitor to his country and to the honest members of law enforcement who risked their lives to dismantle drug cartels,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “It is unconscionable that the defendant betrayed his duty as Secretary of Public Security by greedily accepting millions of dollars in bribe money that was stained by the blood of Cartel wars and drug-related battles in the streets of the United States and Mexico, in exchange for protecting those murderers and traffickers he was solemnly sworn to investigate. Today’s verdict is a shining light for the rule of law, right over wrong, and justice over injustice for all those who have suffered as a result of the defendant’s deplorable crimes.”
“Today’s conviction of Genaro Garcia Luna clearly shows that DEA will stop at nothing to pursue corrupt political officials who engage in drug trafficking and violence,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Garcia Luna, the former Secretary of Public Security in Mexico, received millions of dollars in bribes from the Sinaloa cartel in exchange for protecting its drug trafficking activities and facilitating the importation of cocaine and other drugs into the United States. This case affirms DEA’s dedication to target and bring to justice those that enable the Sinaloa criminal drug cartel to flood the U.S. with deadly drugs that are killing Americans at unprecedented rates. It should send a clear message – to all political leaders around the world that trade on positions of influence to further transnational organized crime – that DEA will relentlessly pursue drug trafficking organizations that threaten the safety and health of the American people.”
HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo: “Criminal organizations cannot function at the level of the Sinaloa drug cartel without the support of corrupt politicians and officials such as Genaro Garcia Luna who aid and abet them. Garcia Luna, a trusted public servant, used his official position to assist this violent drug cartel in exchange for millions of dollars in bribes. Not only did Garcia Luna betray his position, his people and his country, his actions facilitated the importation of tons of illicit drugs into the United States. Corrupt officials like Garcia Luna create a dangerous work environment for U.S. law enforcement who often share sensitive information with the Mexican government to stem the flow of dangerous narcotics into the United States. HSI, along with our law enforcement partners, will aggressively pursue individuals and organizations that negatively impact the national security of the United States and the safety of its citizens.”
As proven at trial, from 2006 to 2012, Garcia Luna was Mexico’s top law enforcement official, serving as Secretary of Public Security and, in that capacity controlled Mexico’s Federal Police Force. Previously, from 2001 to 2005, the defendant was the head of Mexico’s Federal Investigative Agency (“AFI”). The defendant used his official positions to assist the violent Sinaloa drug cartel in exchange for millions of dollars in bribes. Garcia Luna’s conduct included facilitating the safe passage for the Cartel’s drug shipments, providing sensitive law enforcement information about investigations into the Cartel, and helping the Cartel attack rival drug cartels, thereby facilitating the importation of multi‑ton quantities of cocaine and other drugs into the United States.
The evidence included testimony from former high-ranking members of the Sinaloa Cartel with direct knowledge of the defendant’s corrupt activities. For example, in exchange for bribes, the defendant’s Federal Police Force acted as bodyguards and escorts for the Cartel, allowing Cartel members to wear police uniforms and badges, and helped unload shipments of cocaine from planes at Mexico City’s airport, then delivered the cocaine to the Cartel. The defendant was paid in U.S. currency — $100 bills in bundles of $10,000 at times — stuffed variously in a suitcase, briefcases and duffel bags. The bribe amounts increased over the years as the Sinaloa Cartel grew in size and power through the assistance of the defendant. Former members of the Cartel testified that bribe money was handed off to the defendant in a variety of locations, including at a “safe house” located in Mexico City where large amounts of cash were hidden in a false wall, at a car wash in Guadalajara, and at a French restaurant in Mexico City across the street from the U.S. Embassy. Further, in exchange for the millions of dollars that the defendant was receiving in bribes, his federal police leaked sensitive information that enabled the Cartel to evade detection by law enforcement or use the information in attacks on rival traffickers.
Finally, after moving to the United States in 2012, Garcia Luna submitted an application for naturalization in 2018, in which he lied about his past criminal conduct on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel in an attempt to become a U.S. citizen.
Garcia Luna’s co-defendants in the superseding indictment, Luis Cardenas Palomino and Ramon Pequeno Garcia, former high-ranking Mexican law enforcement officials who worked under Garcia Luna, remain fugitives from U.S. authorities.
The investigation was led by the New York Strike Force, a crime-fighting unit comprising federal, state and local law enforcement agencies supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. The Strike Force is based at the DEA’s New York Division and includes agents and officers of the DEA, New York City Police Department, New York State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Secret Service, United States Marshals Service, New York National Guard, Clarkstown Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Port Washington Police Department and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Saritha Komatireddy, Erin Reid, Philip Pilmar, Marietou Diouf, and Adam Amir are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Huda Abouchaer, Melissa Bennett, and Bridget Donovan.
The Defendant:
GENARO GARCIA LUNA
Age: 54
Miami, FloridaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-576 (BMC)
Elmira Methamphetamine Dealer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Corey J. Lattimer, 30, of Elmira, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that Lattimer was arrested April 25, 2022, after the Elmira Police Department Drug Enforcement Unit and the New York State Police Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team executed a search warrant at his S. Main Street residence. During the search, investigators recovered approximately 2,075 grams of methamphetamine, 475 grams of fentanyl, and 5.2 grams of p-Flourofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, drug paraphernalia, $3,528.62 in U.S. currency, and over 250 rounds of live .45 caliber, 9mm caliber, and .380 caliber ammunition.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Elmira Police Department, under the direction of Chief Kristen Thorne, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 15, 2023, before Judge Siragusa.
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Elmira Man Pleads Guilty to Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Kevin Walker, age 32, of Elmira, New York, pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-New York Division, and Steven A. Nigrelli, Acting Superintendent of the New York State Police made the announcement.
Walker admitted that on February 12, 2022, he drove a rental vehicle from his residence in Elmira to Cortland, New York. He intended to meet another individual in the parking lot of a Cortland business to sell to that individual 447 grams of pure methamphetamine, which Walker had in the trunk of the vehicle. Walker further admitted that he also possessed 137 grams of cocaine in the vehicle.
At sentencing, scheduled for June 21, 2023, Walker faces at least 10 years and up to life in federal prison, a maximum fine of $10,000,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The New York State Police and DEA investigated the case, with assistance from the Elmira Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie is prosecuting the case.
District Man Admits to Perpetrating Sophisticated Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Suzgo Phiri, 35, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in District Court to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. The plea was accepted by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper who scheduled sentencing for June 13, 2023. Phiri faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison, plus possible fines and restitution.
According to court documents, between 2018 and his arrest in March of 2022, Phiri - who used multiple false identities including: “Malcolm Tucker,” “David Campbell,” “Eric Brooks,” “Aaron Brooks,” “John Sanders,” “Jaamal Brooks,” “Brady Jones,” and “Payton Deel” – committed multiple fraud schemes. In one fraud, he generated approximately $10,000 per week through a scheme that exploited weaknesses in the payment processing systems used by Square and American Express. The defendant moved fraudulent “tip” amounts that were instantly credited by Square to bank accounts that he had opened using one of many false identities and then quickly withdrew those funds before the fraud could be detected. The government has identified at least $300,000 in gross proceeds from that scheme.
In addition to the fraudulent identity scheme, the government has identified numerous other instances in which the defendant has possessed false identification documents, bank records, and bank cards for individuals other than himself.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the U.S. Capitol Police.
Denison Youth Pastor Sentenced for Child Exploitation ViolationsRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A former youth pastor has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Chad Michael Rider, 49, of Anna, Texas, was found guilty by a jury on July 22, 2022, of three counts of sexual exploitation of children, also referred to as the production of child pornography. Today, Rider was sentenced to a total combined sentence of 720 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant.
According to the court documents and testimony at trial, in August 2022, Homeland Security Investigations agents were investigating David Pettigrew, of Denison, for child pornography offenses. Agents seized a computer hard drive from Pettigrew’s office at the Denison Church of the Nazarene. Forensic review of the device revealed videos of Pettigrew and Rider setting up to film children while bathing at the church. Additional videos were located in which Rider filmed two other children in residential settings.
“Justice has been served on Chad Michael Rider for his role in the production of child pornography,” said U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “He used his trusted roles as a church leader, care giver to at-risk teens, and as a trusted member of his community to plant secret recording devices in bathrooms and other places where children would be disrobed. This shocking breach of trust was committed by an individual who had falsely sewn a firm belief of good character of himself in so many parents in his community. This case stands as a stark reminder of our common duty as citizens to watch out for the most vulnerable among us. I appreciate the members of law enforcement, community members, and especially the victims who had the courage to stand up and stop Rider before he could victimize others.”
“This defendant and his cohort routinely preyed on the innocence of several children that looked to him for guidance as members of his church. He had no concern for the life-altering harm his devious actions would cause those he victimized,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas. “Unfortunately, no amount of prison time can restore their innocence but rest assured, this community is safer with this sexual deviant behind bars.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from Anna Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa J. Miller and Jay Combs.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to Six Years for Firearm Possession Related to Illegal Gun SalesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Covington has sentenced Robert Humberston (39, Sarasota) to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Humberston had pleaded guilty on December 2, 2021.
According to court documents, in March 2021, law enforcement officers recovered three firearms from a felon during a probation search. The felon was prohibited from possessing firearms and informed the officers that they had purchased all three firearms from Humberston, as recently as January 2021. The felon showed the officers a series of Facebook messages where Humberston arranged for the sale of a firearm.
Law enforcement officers secured a search warrant for Humberston’s Facebook account. The account contained several pictures of Humberston holding various firearms, along with numerous posts and messages relating to the sale of firearms. The officers discovered the chain of messages where Humberston agreed to sell the firearm to the felon. Tattoos in the photos also matched those on Humberston.
Humberston has multiple prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Dillon Shane Browning, 31, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 22, 2021, Browning sold approximately 13.77 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at his Charleston residence.
Browning admitted to that transaction and to selling approximately one-half of an ounce of methamphetamine to the confidential informant at his Charleston residence on March 12, 2021. After the second transaction, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Browning’s residence and found approximately 233 grams of methamphetamine in an outbuilding. Browning admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and further admitted that he intended to sell it in the Charleston area.
Browning is scheduled to be sentenced on My 24, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-6.
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Carlsbad man sentenced for enticement of a childRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Billy George West was sentenced to 14 years in prison and order to pay a $5,000 fine pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015. West, 79, of Carlsbad, New Mexico, pleaded guilty on January 10, 2022.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on April 30, 2021, West exchanged sexually explicit messages via telephone with a nine-year old girl in Florida. During the exchange, West using the screen name “Piper,” sent a photo of his genitalia and received a photo of the victim’s genitalia. West admitted that he knew the victim was a minor.
Upon his release from prison, West will be subject to 5 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Carlsbad Police Department investigated this case with assistance from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and R. Eliot Neal are prosecuting the case.
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23-30
Cape Girardeau Man Admits Possessing Machine GunRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A man from Cape Girardeau, Missouri on Tuesday admitted being caught with a fully automatic Glock pistol during a traffic stop in October.
Kaydence K. Robertson, 21, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp to one count of possession of a machine gun. Robertson admitted that he was inside a speeding vehicle that was pulled over by the Cape Girardeau Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 23, 2022. A deputy found a .45-caliber Glock pistol modified with an illegal 3D-printed “switch” to make it fully automatic. The deputy also found marijuana, suspected crack cocaine, oxycodone and a 9mm Glock pistol, Robertson’s plea says.
Glock switches, sometimes referred to as “auto sears,” are considered machine guns under federal law, even if not installed in a firearm.
Robertson is scheduled to be sentenced May 15. The charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
The case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton is prosecuting the case.
California man who shipped meth from Sinaloa Cartel to Butte community sentenced to eight years in prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A California man who admitted to a drug trafficking crime for shipping methamphetamine from the Sinaloa Cartel into the Butte community for redistribution was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Heriberto Tavares, 30, of Anaheim, California, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that from about November 2018 to November 2019, Tavares served as a stash house for the Sinaloa Cartel. Tavares acted as the Amazon shipping services for the cartel, shipping drugs from Mexico into the United States at the direction of the drug trafficking leaders. In some instances, Tavares had 20 pounds of meth, which is the equivalent of approximately 72,480 doses, at a time in his home.
Law enforcement learned that Tavares was shipping drugs, which originated in Mexico, into Montana. During an undercover operation, an agent ordered meth from Humberto Villareal, of Sinaloa, Mexico, who was sentenced in 2021 to 17 years in federal prison for conviction of meth trafficking in the Butte area. In July 2019, law enforcement received a package, sent from Tavares, that contained 474 grams, or a little more than one pound, of meth and heroin. Agents paid for the drugs Tavares sent by wiring money to Ricardo Ramos Medina, in Sinaloa, Mexico. Medina was sentenced in 2020 to eight years in federal prison for conviction on trafficking pounds of meth and other drugs to the Butte area.
Tavares was indicted as part of an investigation into a large-scale drug trafficking organization that brought massive quantities of meth, counterfeit oxycodone pills and heroin into Butte for redistribution through out the state. The investigation resulted in federal convictions of 22 persons. Tavares is the last defendant to be sentenced.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Butte-Silver Bow Police.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Broken Arrow Man Pleads Guilty After Illegally Applying for and Receiving a $20,665 Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
A man who received $20,665 from the Small Business Administration after fraudulently applying for a Paycheck Protection Program loan pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Malcolm Andre Jones, 31, of Broken Arrow, pleaded guilty to wire fraud. In his plea agreement, Jones admitted that he devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration of the funds.
Specifically, Jones knowingly submitted a false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan application to Capital PF, a Small Business Administration approved lender. The loan application Jones prepared and submitted falsely claimed that he operated a landscaping business and that all loan proceeds would be used for business-related purposes. Instead, when he obtained the funds in March 2021, he used the loan proceeds for miscellaneous non-business expenses, including paying bills and purchasing a couch and an automobile. Jones further fraudulently submitted a forgiveness application for the loan and was granted forgiveness based on his submission.
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection- Office of Inspector General and the Small Business Administration-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Cella is prosecuting the case.
To learn more about the Justice Department’s COVID response and to report COVID-19 fraud, visit: https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. For further information on the Criminal Division’s enforcement efforts on PPP fraud, including court documents from significant cases, visit the following website: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.
Box Elder man sentenced to prison for domestic abuseRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Box Elder man who admitted to assaulting a woman with whom he was in a relationship on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Clay James Bad Hawk, 25, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to domestic abuse by a habitual offender.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in December 2021, Bad Hawk punched, slapped, kicked and strangled the victim, identified as Jane Doe, with whom he was in a relationship. Bad Hawk assaulted Jane Doe in a bedroom in his residence, and two girls from across the street yelled through the bedroom window at Bad Hawk that the police were called. Jane Doe hid until the porch until she was found by police. Jane Doe was treated for injuries at a local hospital. Bad Hawk had two prior domestic violence convictions from the Chippewa Cree Tribal Court.
The FBI, Chippewa Cree Tribal Law Enforcement and Rocky Boy’s Police Department investigated the case.
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Boston Man Charged with Armed Robbery of Postal WorkerRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man has been arrested and charged in connection with the Jan. 4, 2023 armed robbery of a United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier in Massachusetts.
Anthony Diaz, 20, was charged with forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with a United States Postal Employee, while they were engaged in the performance of their official duties, and did so by use of a deadly weapon, a firearm. In addition, Diaz was also charged with assaulting a person having lawful charge, custody, and control of United States mail, money, and other property of the United States, with the intent to rob, steal and purloin that mail, money, and other property of the United States, and in doing so put the life of that victim in jeopardy by the use of a firearm. Diaz was arrested on Feb. 17, 2023 and, following an initial appearance in Worcester this afternoon, was detained pending a hearing set for Feb. 27, 2023.
According to the charging documents, USPS has seen a rise in the use of Arrow Keys to facilitate the theft of U.S. Mail. An Arrow Key is a specific key designed to open designated blue USPS collection boxes in a specific area. These Arrow Keys are the property of USPS and it is a federal offense for an unauthorized person to possess one. Since July 2022, there have been at least 12 assaults on USPS letter carriers while in the performance of their official duties in Boston and surrounding cities and towns. These incidents included the attempted or successful robbery of USPS Arrow Keys from letter carriers in at least 10 instances. Additionally, of these 10, six of the robberies were instances where the perpetrators were reportedly armed with a knife, firearm, or both.
It is alleged that, on Jan. 4, 2023, in Peabody, Mass., Diaz approached a USPS letter carrier and stated, “Give me the keys,” while pointing a semi-automatic pistol at the victim. After the victim handed Diaz the USPS vehicle key, Diaz allegedly responded, “Give me the rest of the key,” and “Hurry up or I’ll shoot you.” The victim removed his keychain, which was attached to his belt, containing his USPS Arrow Key and asked if he could have his vehicle key back. Allegedly, Diaz did not respond, as he turned, placing the firearm in his right jacket pocket, and walked directly to the dark grey sedan parked in the area of 3A Veterans Memorial Drive. It is further alleged that Diaz stopped at the rear of the vehicle with the trunk open, before getting into the driver’s seat and departing.
“The national trend of threatening, assaulting and robbing United States postal employees for Arrow Keys has sadly made its way to Massachusetts. Postal workers are essential to countless aspects of our community and often go to great lengths to provide their invaluable services, at times in incredibly challenging circumstances,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “We allege Mr. Diaz targeted a mail carrier and robbed the victim at gun point for an Arrow Key. I commend the excellent investigative work by our USPIS partners, and issue warning to anyone seeking to harm postal workers for financial gain: you will be identified, apprehended and prosecuted in federal court.”
“Today’s arrest has been a true team effort,” said Darnell Edwards, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service would like to thank Peabody Police, Boston Police, and the Massachusetts State Police for their assistance in this investigation. Let today’s arrest serve as an example to criminals: if you target U.S. Postal Service employees and accost them with a gun, you will be identified and prosecuted. Postal Inspectors are watching, and we will tirelessly pursue you to bring you to justice.”
The charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins; USPIS Acting INC Edwards made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Beaumont Postal Employee Guilty of Stealing MailRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - A Beaumont woman has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Pamela Jo Rosas, 64, pleaded guilty to theft of mail by a postal employee today before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, in April 2022, postal inspectors became aware that multiple valuable coins had been stolen after they had been mailed through the U.S. Postal Service. An investigation revealed that Rosas, a postal employee, had stolen the coins while sorting mail at a central mail processing facility in Beaumont. Rosas was arrested and admitted to stealing various items throughout her employment, including large amounts of valuable coins.
Rosas was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2022 and faces up to five years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.
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Beaumont Man Guilty of Federal Violations in Animal Cruelty CaseRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - A Beaumont man has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Decorius Mire, 23, pleaded guilty to animal crushing today before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
Animal crushing is defined under federal criminal law as, “actual conduct in which one or more living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, is purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury.”
According to information presented in court, on October 15, 2021, Mire and a co-defendant encountered a live domestic cat in the parking lot of a Beaumont apartment complex. The co-defendant, encouraged by Mire, kicked the cat as if kicking a football field goal, propelling the cat approximately 15 to 20 feet through the air. Mire filmed the event with his cellular telephone and posted the video on his social media accounts where it was commented on and shared with others.
Mire was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sep. 28, 2022 and faces up to seven years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Batte.
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Albany Man Pleads Guilty to Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Emmanuel Medina, age 35, of Albany, pled guilty today to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Troy Police Chief Daniel DeWolf made the announcement.
Medina admitted that on June 27, 2022, Troy Police Officers responded to a disturbance call in Lansingburgh and found him outside of a house, attempting to conceal a loaded handgun inside of a Jeep Wrangler. Medina eventually stepped away from the vehicle and was safely detained. Officers found a loaded Hi-Point Firearms .380 ACP pistol in the part of the Jeep where Medina had just been observed. Medina admitted that he possessed the handgun in order to protect the cash proceeds (totaling about $2,610.22) that he had generated from recent, prior heroin sales, as well as to protect himself when he had sold and possessed that heroin.
Medina has been in custody since his arrest on June 27, 2022. He faces at least 5 years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced on June 21, 2023 by Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes.
This case was investigated by the Troy Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is prosecuting the case.
Alamo Resident Faces Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl ChargeRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Ozymandias Troy Watson appeared today in United States District Court to face a federal charge that he possessed with intent distribute fentanyl in the form of counterfeit “M30” pills, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. Watson made his initial appearance today in United States District Court in Oakland before United States Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu.
The charge was set out in a criminal complaint filed February 10, 2023, and unsealed in federal court today. According to the criminal complaint, Watson, 18, of Contra Costa County, possessed numerous fentanyl “M30” pills and intended to distribute them. The complaint describes a drug transaction where “M30 pills,” that are alleged to have been provided by Watson, were sold to an individual who subsequently died of an overdose. The complaint alleges that Watson possessed approximately 130 “M30” fentanyl tablets.
In sum, the complaint charges Watson with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C). The statutory maximum for the charge is a maximum 20 years’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum of 3 years’ supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by a court only after considerations of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statue governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. 3553.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Chambers of the Oakland Branch of the United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Leeya Kekona. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA and the Dublin Police Department.
One Pill Can Kill: Beware of pills bought on the street: One Pill Can Kill. Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, is a highly potent opiate that can be diluted with cutting agents to create counterfeit pills that purport to mimic the effects of Oxycodone, Percocet, and other drugs, but can be obtained at a lower cost. However, very small variations in the amount or quality of fentanyl create huge effects on the potency of the counterfeit pills and can easily cause death. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills are usually shaped and colored to resemble pills that are sold legitimately at pharmacies.
24 Individuals Indicted for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of CocaineRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a seven-count indictment charging 20 men and four women with trafficking cocaine in the District of Puerto Rico, beginning in 2017. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) oversees the investigation, with the collaboration of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), Ponce Municipal Police, and the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury. The United States Marshals Service also collaborated during the arrests.
According to the charging document, from 2017 through the date of the return of the indictment, 24 individuals conspired to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. The defendants are:
Arthur W. Rodríguez-Sánchez, a.k.a. “Drizmali/Chino/Quemao/Templo/Chal/Chal F”
Emmanuel Rodríguez-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Jibaro”
Smill E. Gómez- De La Cruz, a.k.a. “Pampara/Pompera/Pampera/Carlos/Carlitos”
Ruben E. Vidal-Flores
Juan C. Cuevas-Feliz
Yan C. García-Pola
Victor X. Zorrilla-Mejías
Wilfredo R. Vázquez-López, a.k.a. “W/Www”
José A. Aquino-Perales
Alexis Abreu-Cordero, a.k.a. “El Viejo/Alexis/Alexis Ozuna-Cordero”
Peter J. Reyes-Suárez
Ángel L. Hernández-Díaz, a.k.a. “Coly/Coli/Coli El Fuerte”
Ángel L. Santiago-Rivera
Jorge Rodríguez-Flores
Héctor Zayas-Schulze
José Velázquez-Madera
Kenneth A. Cruz-Fontánez
Michael Agrinsoni-Mejías,
José M. Hidalgo-Duarte
Jesús H. Vega-Rivera, a.k.a. “Gipeta/Jipeta/Millonario 27”
Verónica Questell-Rodríguez
Deyanira Velázquez-Álvarez
Kailyn N. Rivera-Torres
Zuleyka Torres-Mejías
Also, 21 defendants are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and conspiracy to import cocaine from the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, and the British Virgin Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands, into Puerto Rico.
The defendants made multiple trips between Puerto Rico and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands to transport narcotics. During their smuggling ventures, the defendants used two or three vessels in order to distract law enforcement officers. In addition, they recruited trusted females that could pose as decoys in the vessels to district law enforcement. They also recruited defendant José A. Aquino-Perales, a PRPB FURA police officer that acted as a lookout in Puerto Rico for the drug trafficking organization.
“Today’s arrests dismantle an organization that coordinated not only the international smuggling of drugs, but also the movement of drug proceeds, which is essential to the success of these illegal activities,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We will continue maximizing our multi-agency efforts and will combine resources to investigate and prosecute those who smuggle drugs into Puerto Rico.”
In addition to the drug trafficking charges, four defendants are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, which involved the proceeds of dealing in controlled substances.
The defendants are facing a forfeiture allegation of the following property:
- A lot of land located at Bo. Calabazas, in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico
- A two-level house located at Urbanization Vista de Lago Campo, in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico
- Property located in Urbanization Villa Del Rey, Section IV, Lot 12, 4-G, located in Caguas, Puerto Rico
- Property located at Sector Coco Barrio Jueyes, in Salinas, Puerto Rico
- Six vessels
If convicted, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section Max J. Pérez-Bouret; Deputy Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, AUSA María L. Montañez-Concepción; and AUSA Jorge L. Matos are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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21-Year-Old Man Sentenced to 51 Months for Assaulting a U.S. Customs and Border Protection OfficerRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Cesar Alejandro Avendano-Soto, 21, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced last week, by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Avendano-Soto pleaded guilty to one count of Assault on a Federal Officer Resulting in Bodily Injury. The court also ordered a restitution hearing scheduled for April 25, 2023.
On March 24, 2020, at a port of entry in Nogales, Arizona, Avendano-Soto attempted to enter the United States. After being asked for proof of citizenship, Avendano-Soto became angry and intentionally slammed a Customs and Border Protection officer to the ground, where her head hit the concrete.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah B. Houston, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-01527-TUC-SHR (DTF)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-022_Avendano-Soto# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Monday 20 February 2023
Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Call with UK Security Minister and German and French CounterpartsRead the Press Release
This morning, Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa Monaco spoke with U.K. Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and counterparts in Germany and France about recent threats against journalists critical of the Iranian regime. The Deputy AG and counterparts discussed the recent closure of broadcaster Iran International’s London studios following persistent threats. The Deputy AG noted that this activity occurs less than one month after the Justice Department announced its disruption of a murder-for-hire plot originating from Iran that targeted a U.S.-based Iranian-American journalist.
Sunday 19 February 2023
Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Attendance at the 2023 Munich Security ConferenceRead the Press Release
Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa Monaco was in Munich this week to participate in both the 2023 Munich Cyber Security Conference and the Munich Security Conference, which brings together leaders from around the world to tackle current and future challenges to our global security.
On Friday, the Deputy AG delivered the closing keynote at the 2023 Munich Cyber Security Conference and discussed the department’s ongoing efforts to disrupt the ecosystem that fuels malicious cyber activities and to prioritize prevention of cyberattacks and the department’s work with the victims of cybercrime.
As part of the United States delegation to the 2023 Munich Security Conference, a leading global forum on key security policy challenges, Deputy Attorney General Monaco participated in several discussions regarding national security challenges facing the United States and its partners. The Deputy AG spoke on a panel with European leaders regarding “strategic corruption” when a nation weaponizes corrupt practices for strategic purposes.
The Deputy AG also held several bilateral meetings with European law enforcement and national security partners, including the European Commissioner for Home Affairs as well as the heads of both INTERPOL and EUROPOL. In each of those discussions, Deputy Attorney General Monaco reinforced the Justice Department’s commitment to standing with our partners around the world — and the people of Ukraine — in continuing to investigate Russian war crimes and to enforce the global sanctions levied against Russia for its unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. She also emphasized the importance of international partnerships to combat transnational threats of terrorism, cybercrime and synthetic opioids, including fentanyl.
While in Germany, the Deputy AG also traveled to Nuremberg, to visit the Nuremberg Trials Memorial. She had the opportunity to tour the museum and the courtroom in the Palace of Justice where the leaders of the Nazi regime were tried before an International Military Tribunal following World War II.
She returned to Washington, D.C. on Sunday.
Photo credit: MCSC. Deputy AG Monaco delivering the keynote at the 2023 Munich Cyber Security Conference (MCSC). Deputy AG Monaco with EUROPOL Executive Director Catherine De Bolle. Photo credit: Munich Security Conference. Deputy AG Monaco with INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock. Deputy AG Monaco with others in the courtroom in the Palace of Justice where the leaders of the Nazi regime were tried before an International Military Tribunal following World War II.
Friday 17 February 2023
Woman Sentenced for Federal Witness Tampering in Relation to Trial for Gang-Related Murder and Multistate Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Springfield woman was sentenced yesterday to 15 months in prison for witness tampering that occurred at the onset of a multi-week federal trial against four individuals relating to a murder, violent gang enterprise, and a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Virginia, California, and several other states.
According to court documents, Keira Ta, 27, was a member of the Lady Tigers, which was a subset of a violent Northern Virginia Street gang called the Reccless Tigers. Gang members, over a number of years, engaged in a persistent pattern of intimidation and retaliation against anyone who were believed to have cooperated with law enforcement. Gang members labeled those who cooperated with law enforcement as “snitches,” and used social media to convey threats to witnesses and inform other gang-members of their identities. In retaliation, gang members committed assaults, attacked homes with Molotov cocktails, and even murdered an individual who testified against a member of the Reccless Tigers in a Commonwealth of Virginia case.
According to court records, criminal racketeering and other charges against numerous members of the Reckless Tigers gang led to a trial that commenced on April 11, 2022. The allegations in the trial included, among other things, that certain defendants were involved in the murder of a former Commonwealth witness as described above. On the evening of April 11, 2022, after speaking through a jail call to a leader of the gang who was a defendant in the trial, Ta posted to social media revealing the names of the government’s upcoming witnesses, labeling them each a “snitch” and instructing associates to “come watch the snitches snitching.” Thereafter, the trial was delayed and certain witnesses in the trial later refused to identify the leader of the gang in open court because of the defendant’s threat. On May 6, 2022, a jury convicted four defendants affiliated with the Reccless Tigers of numerous charges relating to a murder, a violent gang enterprise, and a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather D. Call and Ryan B. Bredemeier prosecuted the case.
The investigation into the Reccless Tigers criminal organization is a multi-jurisdictional OCDETF case involving the FBI Washington Field Office, ATF, HSI, IRS, U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Fairfax County Police Department, Prince William County Police Department, City of Richmond Police, Montgomery County (MD) Police, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Falls Church Police, City of Alexandria Sheriff’s Office, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax County Fire Marshal, Prince William County Fire Marshal, Stafford County Fire Marshal, City of Monterey Park (CA) Police, Garden Grove (CA) Police, Anaheim (CA) Police; Trinity County (CA) Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, DEA San Francisco Division – Reading Office, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, California Department of Food & Agriculture, California Department of Consumer Affairs Bureau of Cannabis Control, U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of California – Sacramento Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office Central District of California – Santa Ana and Riverside Offices, and the FBI’s Field Offices in Richmond, Los Angeles, and Sacramento.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-100.
Winnebago Man Receives Probation for Physical Assault on an OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced today that Garry Hunter Little Walker, age 34, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Omaha by Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., to a three-year term of probation for Assault on an Officer with Bodily Contact.
On June 3, 2022, Victim 1, an officer with the Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services was called to a residence near Lyndon Ave. in Rosalie, Nebraska, which is within the territorial confines of the Omaha Indian Reservation. Upon arrival, Victim 1 found Little Walker seated in the vehicle having an argument with his grandmother and the mother of his children. Victim 1 attempted to place Little Walker in handcuffs and Little Walker pushed Victim 1 and began running away. Victim 1 unsuccessfully attempted to deploy his taser twice. Little Walker ran into a house and shut and locked the door. Upon Victim 1 entering the house, he found Little Walker standing in the kitchen with his fists clenched and standing in a fighting posture. Little Walker stated he was not going to go to jail. When told he had very little options, Little Walker asked Victim 1, “How do you want it then? I’m going to rack real hard.” Victim 1 took a step toward Little Walker and Little Walker lifted his right hand and swung over his grandmother and struck Victim 1 in the left side of the head. Little Walker then grabbed Victim 1 by the head. Victim 1 lifted Little Walker and then took him to the ground. Little Walker would not let go of Victim 1’s head after repeated orders to let go. Little Walker then began reaching for Victim 1’s gun. Victim 1 pepper sprayed Little Walker and, in the process, incapacitated himself as well. Victim 1 while still suffering the effects of the pepper spray tried to take Little Walker out of the house. While doing so, Little Walker lunged at Victim 1 and elbowed him in the face before falling onto the ground. Victim 1 received his law enforcement training from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy and the Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services operates under a 638 contract.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services.
Wilder Man Sentenced for Possession of Unregistered Explosive DeviceRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont - The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on February 16, 2023, William Hillard, 51, of Wilder, Vermont, was sentenced in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont to serve 32 months in prison after his guilty plea to one count of possession of an unregistered explosive device. U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered Hillard to serve a three-year term of supervised release and to pay a $100 special assessment.
In April 2022, a confidential source (CS) reported to the Hartford, Vermont Police Department (Hartford PD) that Hillard possessed explosive devices (bombs) at his residence in Wilder, Vermont. The CS provided Hartford PD one bomb that the CS said was made by Hillard. Hartford PD obtained a warrant to search the residence and on April 5, 2022, assisted by Special Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), executed it. During this search, law enforcement found eight bombs, some of which had shrapnel inside, and bomb-making materials, including explosive powder, fuses, and pipes. Law enforcement also found a semi-automatic rifle, two loaded ammunition magazines with 17 rounds of ammunition contained inside, and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition of various calibers. Hillard did not register the bombs with the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record as required. In addition, Hillard had previously been convicted of felony offenses and therefore was prohibited from possessing the foregoing weapons.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Hartford, Vermont Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the investigation and prosecution of Hillard.Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson handled the prosecution of Hillard. Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara M. Puls represented Hillard.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
Violent Felon Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies Across Virginia, Pennsylvania, and MarylandRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to committing five different armed robberies of convenience stores, hotels, and banks between October 2021 and December 2021.
According to court documents, over the course of two months, Rickley Joshua Senning, 33, and Jesann Willis, 36, traveled throughout Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania to commit armed robberies. At each location, Senning entered brandishing a firearm at employees. In total, 15 different victims were held at gunpoint. The Virginia armed robbery occurred at a jewelry store in Richmond. Senning held the business owner and the business owner’s son at gunpoint while Willis collected over $100,000 of jewelry belonging to the business. The robberies in Maryland and Pennsylvania took place at a mix of gas stations, convenience stores, and banks.
Senning is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for the armed robberies as well as a mandatory minimum of seven years and maximum of life in prison for brandishing a firearm during the jewelry store robbery. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Colonel Eric D. English, Chief of Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth R. Simon, Jr. is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-28.
United States Files Complaint Against Illegal Robocall Telemarketers and Telecommunications Service ProvidersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced a civil enforcement action against several corporate and individual defendants for alleged violations of the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) in connection with telemarketing campaigns that have illegally bombarded American consumers with millions of robocalls.
According to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, defendant telecommunications service companies Stratics Networks, Inc. and Netlatitude Inc., along with defendant Kurt Hannigan, Netlatitude’s president, violated the TSR by providing substantial assistance and support in the form of technological services to telemarketers that unlawfully called consumers with robocalls delivering prerecorded marketing messages, called numbers listed on the National Do Not Call Registry, and failed to truthfully identify the seller of the goods and services being marketed. These alleged robocalls include numerous “ringless voicemails” delivered to consumers without making their phones ring.
The complaint also brings claims against several additional defendants that allegedly used Stratics Networks, Inc.’s ringless voicemail platform to illegally telemarket credit-card debt relief services. According to the complaint, defendants Tek Ventures, LLC (also doing business as Provident Solutions), Atlas Marketing Partners, Inc., Atlas Investment Ventures, LLC, Eric Petersen and Todd DiRoberto (who are co-owners of those three companies), Kasm, and Kenan Azzeh (owner and director of Kasm) violated the FTC Act by misrepresenting the terms and outcomes of their debt relief services. These defendants also violated the TSR by making those misrepresentations, by failing to clearly and truthfully identify the seller of their services, and by calling consumers with prerecorded messages without first obtaining their consent. The complaint also alleges that defendants Tek Ventures, LLC, Atlas Marketing Partners, Inc., Atlas Investment Ventures, LLC, Eric Petersen, Todd DiRoberto, and two additional defendants – Ace Business Solutions LLC and its owner and director Sandra Barnes – violated the TSR by requesting and receiving payments from their debt relief customers before renegotiating or otherwise altering the terms of those customers’ debts.
The complaint seeks a permanent injunction to prohibit the defendants from future violations, as well as monetary civil penalties and relief to redress injury caused to consumers.
Two defendants in this action, Kasm and its owner and director Kenan Azzeh, have agreed to entry of a court order that resolves the claims against them. The stipulated order, if entered by the court, would prohibit these defendants from further violations and impose a monetary judgment of $3,380,000, suspended to $7,500 due to their limited ability to pay.
“The Department of Justice is committed to stopping individuals and companies from making illegal robocalls and peddling predatory debt relief services,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the FTC to enforce the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule against those who use misleading sales tactics to prey on consumers.”
“This case targets the ecosystem of companies who perpetrate illegal telemarketing to cheat American consumers who are struggling financially,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The FTC will continue to take aggressive action to protect consumers from the scourge of illegal robocalls.”
Senior Trial Attorney Daniel K. Crane-Hirsch and Trial Attorneys Matthew A. Robinson and Zachary A. Dietert of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, in conjunction with staff at the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices, are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit its website at https://www.FTC.gov.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney and Maine Prosecutors’ Joint Statement Regarding Domestic Violence-Related Protective Orders and Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee joined Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey and Maine’s District Attorneys in a statement today to reassure domestic violence victims in Maine following a recent appellate court decision in Louisiana.
“In 1994, Congress passed Section 922(g)(8) of Title 18, United States Code, a law prohibiting firearm possession by individuals subject to a court order that restrains them from harassing, stalking or threatening an intimate partner or child. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in United States v. Rahimi recently ruled that this federal statute is unconstitutional. The Rahimi decision is not binding on the District of Maine, which is in the First Circuit.
While the Rahimi decision is reviewed, it is the position of the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, the Maine Attorney General’s Office, and Maine’s District Attorneys, that this federal statute, and a parallel state law found at Section 393(D)(1) of Title 15 of Maine’s Revised Statutes, are presumed constitutional.
Domestic abusers in Maine should be aware that both statutes will be enforced.”
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Two Multi-State Methamphetamine Traffickers Sentenced to a Combined Fifteen Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Christopher Stafford, 37, of Princeton, Indiana and Donnell White, 47, of Louisville, Kentucky have been sentenced to 5 and 10 years in federal prison, respectively. Both defendants pled guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, between November 6 and 22 of 2019, Christopher Stafford and Donell White conspired together to possess and distribute between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine ice.
On November 20, 2019, law enforcement officers pulled Stafford over in Princeton, Indiana. During the traffic stop, officers searched the vehicle and located approximately 190 grams of methamphetamine. When interviewed by police, Stafford admitted to distributing additional methamphetamine that he purchased from Donnell White over a prior, two-week period.
On November 22, 2019, White agreed to sell one pound of methamphetamine to Stafford for $3,800. White agreed to deliver the substances from Louisville, Kentucky to Stafford’s residence in Gibson County, Indiana. On the same day, Stafford was stopped by law enforcement officers on Interstate 64. During the traffic stop, officers located approximately one pound of methamphetamine in Stafford’s vehicle.
The sentence was announced by Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Indianapolis Field Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Doug Carter, Superintendent of the Indiana State Police, and Derek McGraw, Chief of Police for the Princeton Police Department.
“Methamphetamine has devastating, and sometimes deadly, effects on users, their families, and our communities,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Concerted efforts to bring this deadly drug across state lines and into our district will not be tolerated. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to find those responsible for significant drug trafficking and hold them accountable in federal court.”
“The sentencing of Mr. Stafford and Mr. White send an important message that drug traffickers will be held accountable for selling poison on our streets. It is a big win for law enforcement when we can stop highly addictive drugs, such as methamphetamine, from reaching our communities and causing harm,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Gannon. “DEA remains committed to working hand in hand with our state and local partners to keep our communities safe. DEA commends the outstanding work of the Princeton Police Department, Indiana State Police and the United States Attorney’s Office during the course of this investigation.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with valuable assistance provided by the Princeton Indiana Police Department and Indiana State Police. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Richard L. Young. Judge Young also ordered that both Stafford and White be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 and 5 years, respectively.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lauren M. Wheatley, who prosecuted this case.
Two More Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Multimillion Dollar Schemes Involving Preparation of False Tax Returns for Professional Athletes and PPP Loan FraudRead the Press Release
Two California men have been sentenced to prison in a conspiracy to defraud the IRS and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal loans initiative designed to help businesses pay their employees and meet expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanh Ngoc Rudin of Rosemead, 58, was sentenced to 34 months in prison on Feb. 10, 2023, and his coconspirator, Seir Havana of North Hollywood, 46, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison. Thanh Rudin’s brother, Quin Rudin, was sentenced in October 2022 to 10 years in prison for his role in the scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Thanh Rudin was a principal of Mana Tax Services, a tax preparation business in the Los Angeles area. Havana was the company’s Vice President/Director and Chief Executive Officer. Quin Rudin was its Secretary, Director, and Chief Financial Officer. They engaged in two fraud schemes using Mana Tax, while Quin Rudin was still on supervised release for a different fraud scheme in California.
The defendants prepared and filed with the IRS a series of false income tax returns on behalf of at least nine professional athletes. The false tax returns reported fictitious business and personal losses to generate refunds the athletes were not entitled to receive. The defendants also filed amended tax returns for most of the athletes for prior years to correct what they falsely characterized as “errors” made by the athletes’ previous accountants. Mana Tax charged the athlete clients 30% of the fraudulent tax refunds. The tax fraud scheme caused a total tax loss of more than $19 million.
The Rudin brothers and Havana also prepared and submitted false applications for PPP loans on behalf of small businesses, shell companies, and other business entities they controlled, and took a fee of 30% of the fraudulent loan. They submitted fabricated tax returns to support the PPP loan applications, and some of the business owners never saw their loan applications before Mana Tax filed them. The loan applications grossly inflated the number of employees and monthly payroll costs. Some of the businesses had no payroll expenses and were not actually eligible for PPP loans.
During the investigation, the government seized more than $11.8 million of the fraudulent PPP loan proceeds from bank accounts controlled by the defendants. In addition, Havana surrendered cashier’s checks totaling approximately $5.6 million, representing a portion of the fees charged to professional athletes for the preparation of their false tax returns and a portion of the fees taken from the fraudulent PPP loans.
In total, the two schemes caused more than $44 million in losses to the United States.
In addition to their respective terms of imprisonment, Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga ordered the defendants to each serve 3 years of supervised release. Thanh Rudin was ordered to pay $38,206,074.98 and Seir Havana was ordered to pay $38,673,403.24 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation made the announcement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and the U.S. Small Business Administration provided assistance with the investigation.
Assistant Chief David Zisserson of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Shartar and Kimberly R. Pedersen are prosecuting the case.
Two Men Plead Guilty to COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – Two men pleaded guilty yesterday for their involvement in a conspiracy to apply for and use Nevada and California unemployment insurance benefits debit cards that were issued in other peoples’ names.
Luigi J. Montes (42), of Sugar Land, Texas, and Peter Alexander Stincer (34), of Sylmar, California, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware scheduled sentencing for June 5, 2023.
According to court documents and admissions made in court, from at least March 2020 to January 2021, Montes, Stincer, and co-defendant Alexander Hoyos Rivera, of Marion, Ohio, conspired to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation (DETR) and the California Employment Development Department (EDD). As part of the scheme, they used stolen personal identifying information – such as victim names, dates of birth, and social security numbers – to defraud DETR and EDD. Once the claims were approved, unemployment insurance debit cards were sent to mailing addresses to which the defendants had access. After receiving the debit cards, they withdrew the funds at various ATMs located in several states, including Nevada, California, and Texas. In total, DETR, EDD, and other state agencies approved at least $934,129 in benefits for these fraudulent claims. During the conspiracy, the defendants fraudulently obtained at least $698,655 in benefits for their personal use.
At sentencing, Montes and Stincer each face a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Fang is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Two Maryland Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Armed Home Invasion and Attempted Robbery in Northeast Washington, D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose Gonzalez Pacheco, also known as “Jose Gonzalez,” 48, and Kenneth Demetrius Harris, also known as “Kenneth Vann,” 43, both of Silver Spring, Maryland, were sentenced to federal prison yesterday for their roles in an armed robbery on July 16, 2021.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, for the Metropolitan Police Department.
On November 8, 2022, Gonzalez and Vann each pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of threatening to kidnap or injure another person. As part of their pleas, they admitted that they entered a male victim’s apartment, knowing that he operated an illegal marijuana “dispensary” from that location, and intended to rob the male victim of both marijuana and cash. Upon entering the apartment, Gonzalez and Vann – both of whom were armed with 9mm semi-automatic handguns – discovered that the victim’s wife, female friend, and infant child were also in the apartment. The male victim attempted to wrestle Vann’s gun away, at which point Vann choked and punched the male victim. While Vann had the male victim in a headlock, Gonzalez pointed a handgun at the male victim’s wife, friend, and infant child, and told the male victim to calm down before someone got hurt. When the male victim relented, he, his wife, and his friend were bound and gagged with duct tape and zip ties, and the infant child was placed in a baby swing. The male victim was able to remove the duct tape from his mouth and call for help, and a neighbor called 911. Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to the scene and arrested Gonzalez and Vann before they could escape.
On February 16, 2023, the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia sentenced Gonzalez to 97 months in prison and sentenced Vann to 72 months in prison for their roles in the offense. Both Gonzalez and Vann will each serve an additional 36 months of supervised release upon their release from prison.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the MPD and FBI. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Genevieve de Guzman and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole and James B. Nelson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Two Individuals Sentenced for Multimillion-Dollar Cattle-Trading Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Two individuals were sentenced today to six years in prison for their roles in a cattle-trading Ponzi scheme that resulted in millions of dollars in victim losses.
According to court documents, from late 2017 until early 2019, Reva Joyce Stachniw, 71, of Galesburg, Illinois, and Ron Throgmartin, 59, of Buford, Georgia, along with a co-conspirator, ran a Ponzi scheme by fraudulently representing to victims that their investments were backed by short-term investments in Stachniw and Throgmartin’s cattle and marijuana businesses. The victim-investors gave the conspirators money based on false promises that their investments would be used for legitimate activities related to those businesses. In actuality, the funds were used to pay earlier investors.
In August 2022, Stachniw and Throgmartin were convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
In addition to their terms of imprisonment, Stachniw was ordered to pay $14,597,335.80 in restitution and to forfeit $6,013,370. Throgmartin was ordered to pay $14,597,335.80 in restitution and to forfeit $1,004,904.83. The restitution was ordered jointly and severally between the two.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Region; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Field Office made the announcement.
The FDIC-OIG and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Scott Armstrong and Trial Attorneys Brandon Burkart and Michael McCarthy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
Two Indicted After Drug Shipment Intercepted on Interstate 44 in St. Louis CountyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Texas and a woman from St. Louis, Missouri were indicted Wednesday on drug conspiracy charges after multiple kilograms of suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine were found during a traffic stop on Interstate 44 in St. Louis County.
Francisco Manuel Mata-Martinez, 41, of El Paso, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The grand jury indicted Maricela Vazquez-Vargas, 38, on the conspiracy charge and a charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
On February 6, Mata-Martinez was identified as a possible courier of narcotics and stopped on Interstate 44 in St. Louis County, according to a criminal complaint filed prior to the indictment. After a narcotics detection dog alerted to the vehicle, officers found a duffel bag with seven packages containing a total of 8.5 kilograms of suspected fentanyl, 40 packages containing 25.7 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine and 1.2 kilos of suspected ketamine, the affidavit says.
DEA agents and police watched as a St. Louis woman, Vazquez-Vargas, then arrived in the 4200 block of Delor Street in St. Louis to meet the drug delivery, the affidavit says.
A kilogram of suspected cocaine was later found in her home, the affidavit says.
Both are scheduled to be in court on February 23.
The conspiracy charge and the charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl carry a penalty of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, or both. The other charges are punishable by five to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine, or both.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Louis County Police Department and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dane Rennier is prosecuting the case.
Two Duluth Men Indicted for Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DULUTH, Minn. – A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against two Duluth men for a methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, from the spring of 2020, through July 2022, Tisco Rondell Cooks, 35, and Cole Alexander Heyn, 25, both from Duluth, conspired with each other to distribute quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Cooks is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
Heyn is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, one count of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
Cooks and Heyn are currently in custody and will make their initial appearances in U.S. District Court at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Duluth Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Hollenhorst is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Twenty-Six Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell has sentenced Terry Augusta Newsome (34, Tampa) to seven years in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm. The court also ordered Newsome to forfeit the firearm and ammunition. Newsome had pleaded guilty on November 1, 2022.
According to court documents, on February 15, 2021, an officer from the Tampa Police Department observed Newsome driving a moped, failing to stop at a stop sign, and colliding with a bicyclist. The officer responded to the scene of the crash and called for emergency services.
When the officer arrived at the scene, he observed that Newsome and the bicyclist were both severely bleeding. The officer attempted to attend to Newsome’s injuries, but Newsome rose to his feet clutching a firearm that he had hidden under his shirt. Additional officers that had arrived on scene noticed a holster partially hidden under Newsome’s shirt. The officers restrained Newsome and retrieved a loaded firearm from Newsome’s pants.
At the time of the incident, Newsome had at least 26 prior state felony convictions, including 3 convictions for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, 5 for grand theft motor vehicle, 9 burglary, and 1 for armed robbery. Because of his prior felony convictions, Newsome is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.